Maryland Historical Trust Inventory No. PG: 85A-004 Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties Form

Transcription

1 Inventory No. PG: 85A-004 Maryland Inventory of 1. Name of Property (indicate preferred name) historic other 2. Location street and number city, town county (preferred) Thomas Robinson House 8700 Dyson Road Brandywine Prince George's not for publication vicinity 3. Owner of Property (give names and mailing addresses of all owners) name Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission street and number 6600 Kenilworth Avenue telephone city, town Riverdale state MD zip code Location of Legal Description courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. Prince George's County Courthouse liber folio 170 city, town Upper Marlboro tax map 135 tax parcel 169 tax ID number Primary Location of Additional Data X Contributing Resource in National Register District Contributing Resource in Local Historic District Determined Eligible for the National Register/Maryland Register Determined Ineligible for the National Register/Maryland Register Recorded by HABS/HAER Historic Structure Report or Research Report at MHT Other: Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Prince George's County Planning Department 6. Classification Category Ownership Current Function Resource Count district X public agriculture landscape Contributing Noncontributing X building(s) private commerce/trade recreation/culture 4 3 buildings structure both defense religion sites site domestic social structures object education transportation 1 objects funerary work in progress 4 4 Total government unknown health care X vacant/not in use Number of Contributing Resources industry other: previously listed in the Inventory 1

2 7. Description Inventory No. PG: 85A-004 Condition X excellent good fair deteriorated ruins altered Prepare both a one paragraph summary and a comprehensive description of the resource and its various elements as it exists today. The is located at 8700 Dyson Road in Brandywine, Maryland. This singlefamily dwelling is sited on a grassy lot that slopes to the south. The property features mature trees and shrubs. A gravel driveway bounds the southern edge of the property. The driveway forks northward and travels towards the freestanding garage, which is sited east of the dwelling. Also, the western end of the gravel driveway leads northward towards the façade of the dwelling. Woodland bounds the western, northern, and eastern edges of the property. A garage is sited east of the dwelling and a barn is located northeast of the garage. The property also includes a tenant house/schoolhouse and a secondary dwelling with an associated tractor shed and shed. MAIN DWELLING Constructed c. 1882, this three-bay vernacular single-family dwelling is two bays deep. 1 The dwelling is composed of a two-and-one-half-story main block with a two-story wing on the west (side) elevation. A one-story addition on the west elevation of the ell was constructed c The wood-frame dwelling has been reclad with German vinyl siding and is set on a solid brick foundation that is now parged. The dwelling is capped by a side gable roof that is covered with asphalt shingles. Plain raking vinyl boards and overhanging eaves finish the roof. An interior brick chimney rises from the west (side) elevation and has a plain cap. The window openings on the façade (south elevation) contain 1/1 vinyl-sash windows with square-edged vinyl surrounds and inoperable louvered vinyl shutters. The easternmost bay of the façade contains a single-leaf paneled vinyl door with lights. Poured concrete steps with metal hand rails provide access to the primary entrance. The east (side) elevation is pierced by two window openings on each story and one in the upper gable end. Each opening contains a 1/1 vinyl-sash window with a square-edged vinyl surround and inoperable louvered vinyl shutters. The window in the upper gable end does not have shutters. The two westernmost bays on the first story of the rear (north) elevation contain 1/1 vinyl-sash windows, as do the three symmetrically placed second-story window openings. All window openings have square-edged vinyl surrounds. The easternmost bay of the first story contains a single-leaf paneled vinyl door with a square-edged vinyl surround. Poured concrete steps and metal hand rails with metal balusters provide access to this doorway. The west (side) elevation is fenestrated with 1/1, vinyl-sash windows; one on each story and one in the upper gable end. All openings on the west elevation have square-edged vinyl surrounds. The first- and second-story windows have inoperable louvered vinyl shutters. A two-story, two-bay wing is located on the west (side) elevation of the main block and is possibly original. The wood-frame wing has been reclad with German vinyl siding and is set on a solid brick foundation. A side gable roof caps the wing and is covered with asphalt shingles. Overhanging eaves finish the roof. An interior-end brick cap rises from the west elevation and has a corbeled brick cap. Single-leaf paneled vinyl door with a fanlight and square-edged vinyl surround pierces the façade. It is flanked by a 1/1, vinyl-sash window and a one-light fixed metal window. Both openings have square-edged vinyl surrounds. Poured

3 Number 7 Page 2 concrete steps provide access to the door. The second-story window opening contains a 1/1, vinyl-sash window with a square-edged vinyl surround and inoperable louvered vinyl shutters. The first story of the rear elevation is fenestrated with sliding one-light vinyl-frame glass doors with a square-edged vinyl surround. A flight of wood steps accesses the door. The second-story window opening contains a 1/1, vinylsash windows with a square-edged vinyl surround. A one-story, two-bay addition is located on the west elevation of the wing appears to have been constructed between 1993 and The wood-frame addition is clad with German vinyl siding and is covered by a side gable roof of asphalt shingles. Overhanging eaves and cornice returns finish the roof. An exterior-rear chimney rises from the north (rear) elevation and is clad with German vinyl siding. The addition is set on a solid concrete block foundation. The south (front) elevation has two window openings; each contains a 1/1, vinyl-sash window with false 6/6 vinyl muntins, square-edged vinyl surrounds, and inoperable louvered vinyl shutters. The northernmost bay on the west (side) elevation contains a single-leaf paneled vinyl door with lights. A flight of wood steps accesses this door. The southernmost bay contains a 1/1, vinyl-sash window with false 6/6 vinyl muntins and a square-edged vinyl surround. Beneath this window, a single-leaf entry with a plywood door punctures the foundation and provides access to the basement. A window opening flanks each side of the chimney on the rear elevation. The openings contain a 1/1, vinyl-sash window with false 6/6 vinyl muntins and square-edged vinyl surrounds. GARAGE A one-story, two-bay garage is located east of the dwelling and appears to have been constructed c based on current aerial maps. The garage is clad with German vinyl siding and is set on a solid concrete block foundation. The garage is capped by a side-gable roof that is covered with asphalt shingles. Overhanging eaves and plain raking vinyl boards finish the roof. Two roll-up paneled metal doors with lights pierce the façade (southeast elevation). The southwest elevation is pierced by a single-leaf paneled vinyl door with lights. Two window openings on the rear (northwest) elevation contain 1/1, vinyl-sash windows with square-edged vinyl surrounds. The southern bay of the northeast elevation contains a singleleaf paneled vinyl door with lights. The northwestern window opening contains a 1/1, vinyl-sash window with a narrow, square-edged vinyl surround. BARN A one-story barn, which is noted on the 1938 aerial map, is located northeast of the dwelling and appears to have been constructed c The wood-frame barn is clad with vertical board siding and has a wood post foundation that has been reinforced with concrete piers. The front-gable roof is covered with standing-seam metal and finished with overhanging eaves. The westernmost bay of the façade (south elevation) contains a single-leaf board-and-batten door. A wood sign above the doorway reads Enter At Own Risk. The

4 Number 7 Page 3 opening in the easternmost bay once held double-leaf board-and-batten doors, although only the left leaf of the door remains. The opening in the easternmost bay of the rear (north) elevation does not currently have doors. TENANT HOUSE WITH SCHOOLHOUSE A deteriorated one-and-one-half-story tenant house with attached schoolhouse (now vacant) is located well south and east of the primary dwelling and west of the long, gravel driveway that leads from Dyson Road. Constructed c. 1875, the wood-frame tenant house is clad with wood weatherboard siding and is capped by a side-gabled roof of corrugated metal with overhanging eaves. An interior-end brick chimney rises from the south (side) elevation and has been overgrown with vines. The façade (east elevation) features a centrally located door opening, which contains a single-leaf wood door. There is an opening in the upper gable end of the north (side) elevation, but it does not presently contain a sash. A one-story, three-bay schoolhouse, clad with German wood siding, is adjacent to the south elevation of the tenant house. The schoolhouse is noted on the 1861 Martenet Map of Prince George s County; based on its form and materials, the schoolhouse appears to have been constructed c date of construction. The wood-frame schoolhouse was originally located south of Dyson Road but when that lot was purchased by Franklin A. Robinson, he had the abandoned schoolhouse moved to its present location and joined it to the existing tenant house. A side-gabled roof caps the schoolhouse and is covered with corrugated metal. A central door opening pierces the façade (east elevation) and has a square-edge wood surround. The door is flanked by 6/6, wood-sash windows with square-edged wood surrounds. The south (side) and west (rear) elevations were not visible because of the dense foliage. The former schoolhouse was in deteriorated condition and overgrown with mature vegetation at the time of the 2009 on-site survey. The walls are deteriorating, the interior ceiling is sagging and vegetation has grown through the window and door openings. Much of the wood siding is pulling away from the main structure. SECONDARY DWELLING (NELSON BILLINGSLEY HOUSE) A one-and-one-half-story, three-bay Colonial Revival-style single-family dwelling with a Cape Cod form is sited south of the at 8600 Dyson Road. Nelson Billingsley, the son of Fitzhugh H. Billingsley and Georgia Katarah Lusby Billingsley, had the dwelling constructed c The dwelling, presumably constructed of wood frame, is clad with wood weatherboard siding and is set on a solid concrete block foundation that is parged. A side gable roof caps the dwelling and is covered with asphalt shingles. Three symmetrically placed dormers project from the southern slope of the roof and have gable roofs covered with asphalt shingles. The dormers have overhanging eaves and raked cornices. Each wood-frame dormer is clad with wood weatherboard siding and holds a 6/1 wood-sash windows with a narrow, squareedged vinyl surround. A shed dormer projects from the northern slope of the roof. The shed roof of the

5 Number 7 Page 4 dormer extends from the ridge of the principle roof and is covered with asphalt shingles. The wood-frame dormer is clad with wood weatherboard siding and is fenestrated with paired 6/1 wood-sash windows flanking a smaller central 1/1 vinyl-sash window. An exterior-end brick chimney rises from the east (side) elevation of the dwelling and has a corbeled brick cap. A central single-leaf paneled wood door with lights pierces the façade (south elevation) and is complemented by a Colonial Revival surround composed of fluted pilasters and a plain entablature. The end bays of the façade hold tripartite windows composed of a central 8/1 wood-sash window flanked by 4/1 wood-sash windows. Two-light fixed metal windows with concrete sills fenestrate the foundation. The foundation of the west (side) elevation holds a single-leaf wood door with lights. A metal awning shelters the door, which is accessed by a flight of poured concrete steps. The awning is supported by metal filigree posts. The southern bay of the first story holds paired 6/1 wood-sash windows, while the northern bay of the first story and two openings in the upper gable end contain 6/1 wood-sash windows. The southern bay of the east elevation holds a 6/1 wood-sash window and the upper gable end is pierced by paired 6/1 wood-sash windows. The rear (north) elevation is fenestrated with 6/1 wood-sash windows. A one-story, one-bay integrated porch is sited on the northwest corner of the rear elevation and is set on a solid concrete block foundation. A square wood post supports the principle roof of the dwelling, which shelters a single-leaf paneled wood door with lights and an 8/1 wood-sash window. Metal balusters enclose the porch. The easternmost bay of the foundation holds a roll-up paneled wood garage door with lights. A one-story enclosed porch is located on the east elevation of the dwelling and was constructed c The porch is set on a solid concrete block foundation and is capped by a shed roof of asphalt shingles. The porch is enclosed with single, paired, and triple 1/1 metal-sash windows and a single-leaf metal storm door. Poured concrete steps provide access to the door. TRACTOR SHED A one-story, two-bay tractor shed is located northwest of the secondary dwelling and appears to have been constructed c based on current aerial maps. The wood-frame shed is clad with vertical wood planks. Set on a poured concrete slab, the shed is capped by a side gable roof covered with asphalt shingles. The south elevation is open, exposing open interior. A central square wood post supports the southern slope of the roof due to the open elevation. SHED

6 Number 7 Page 5 A one-story, one-bay shed is located north of the secondary dwelling and given the form and materials appears to have been constructed c The wood-frame shed is clad with standing-seam metal and is set on a concrete-block pier foundation. A front gable roof caps the shed and is also covered with standingseam metal. Overhanging eaves and exposed rafter ends complement the roof. The façade (south elevation) is pierced by a single-leaf metal door. This was the only visible fenestration. SIGN A wood sign is located approximately thirty-feet north of Dyson Road and is sited west of the driveway. The wood plank sign is engraved with Billingsleys Farm and is attached to metal poles. This sign most likely dates from c when Nelson F. Billingsley and his sister, Anna C. Billingsley, owned the property. INTEGRITY The retains a moderate level of integrity of design, materials, and workmanship as a result of the application of non-historic vinyl siding, the replacement of the original windows with vinyl sash and inoperable vinyl shutters, the replacement of the entry doors on the façade, and the construction of the additions on the west (side) elevation (although the wing may be original). The property s integrity of setting, feeling, and association have been diminished but not compromised because the house is no longer owned by the Robinson or Billingsley families. The dwelling s integrity of location remains high. The property, although no longer farmed as a cohesive unit, retains its rural and agricultural sense. Based on its recent construction date, the c garage is considered a non-contributing resource. The barn maintains a moderate level of integrity of design, workmanship, and materials as a result of its deterioration. The building retains a high level of integrity of feeling, location, setting, and association due to its continuing association with the. The tenant house presents a low level of integrity of design, materials and workmanship. The building retains a diminished integrity of feeling and association because it no longer functions as a dwelling. This building maintains its integrity of location and setting. The attached schoolhouse has a low level of integrity of design, materials, and workmanship due to its deteriorated condition, the overgrowth of vegetation, and loss of materials such as windows and doors. The building has a low integrity of feeling and association because it no longer functions as a school or a dwelling. Further, the building has a moderate integrity of location and setting because even though it was moved in the early twentieth century, the present location has gained historic significance.

7 Number 7 Page 6 The secondary dwelling (Nelson Billingsley House) has a moderate level of integrity of design, materials, and workmanship as a result of the replacement of a few of the original wood windows, construction of the addition, and enclosure of the side porch. Integrity of location remains high. The dwelling has a moderate level of integrity of setting, feeling, and association because although the dwelling is no longer owned by the Billingsley family, the property still retains its rural, agricultural surroundings. The secondary dwelling s associated tractor shed (c. 1995) and shed (c. 1980) are considered noncontributing resources due to their recent construction dates. Overall, the with secondary resources presents a moderate level of integrity.

8 8. Significance Inventory No. PG: 85A-004 Period Areas of Significance Check and justify below agriculture economics health/medicine performing arts archeology education industry philosophy X X architecture engineering invention politics/government art entertainment/ landscape architecture religion commerce recreation law science communications ethnic heritage literature social history community planning exploration/ maritime history transportation conservation settlement military X other: Local History Specific dates c Architect/Builder James G. Robinson Construction dates c. 1882, c Evaluation for: National Register Maryland Register not evaluated Prepare a one-paragraph summary statement of significance addressing applicable criteria, followed by a narrative discussion of the history of the resource and its context. (For compliance projects, complete evaluation on a DOE Form see manual.) STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The was constructed c at 8700 Dyson Road in Brandywine, Maryland. This wood-frame dwelling was constructed on a part of the tract known as Potomac Landing, which was once owned by Thomas Wells Robinson, a plantation owner. Following Robinson s death, his son Franklin Alexander Robinson purchased Lot 2 (consisting of 160 acres) from his father s estate and constructed the dwelling c The design of the dwelling is unusual because it evokes an early-nineteenth-century building and is an imitation of Robinson s boyhood home, which was located northeast of the dwelling and was sited on property presently owned by the M-NCPPC and used as a firing range. He owned the property from 1876 until his death in 1905, leaving an estate including acres. During his tenure of ownership, Robinson primarily grew small grains and tobacco and enlarged his property holdings with the purchase of several other land parcels. One of these parcels was the Schoolhouse lot. In the early twentieth century, Robinson moved the schoolhouse and joined it to an existing tenant house on his property, which housed African-American farm laborers. The Home Place tract (a part of which was formerly known as Lot 2 of Potomac Landing ) was conveyed to Fitzhugh H. and Georgia Katarah Billingsley in This transaction began an unbroken line of Billingsley ownership of Home Place that continued until The M-NCPPC is the current owner of the property, having purchased approximately acres of the former Robinson-Billingsley farm from Billingsley family members in separate land transactions dating from 1993 to The property represents the gradual shift in Prince George s County from large plantations to smaller farming operations in the post-civil War era. Although the acreage decreased in the late twentieth century and the associated outbuildings no longer have agricultural uses, the Robinson- Billingsley House and associated property retain sufficient integrity to convey their significance, documenting the evolution of a rural, nineteenth-century Prince George s County farmhouse and associated outbuildings.

9 Number 8 Page 2 HISTORIC CONTEXT The, which has a Brandywine postal address, is located one mile northeast from the community of T.B. Although the property had no significant association with either Brandywine or T.B., it is important to note the evolution of the surrounding region. Located in southern Prince George s County, T.B. is named for two of the largest nineteenth-century landowners in the area: William Townshend and Thomas Brooke. Tradition maintains the name was derived from a boundary stone carved with T and B, marking Townshend s property to the west and Brooke s property to the east. 2 It was first called Tee Bee Junction. 3 T.B. was the crossroads for several old roads including Accokeek Road, Old Branch Avenue/Brandywine Road (Route 381) and several other east-west roads that ran between the important ports of Piscataway on the Potomac River and Nottingham on the Patuxent River. Today, T.B. is still at the junction of several important roads including Maryland Route 5 (Branch Avenue), Dyson Road, Brandywine Road, and Old Brandywine Road. U.S. Route 301 runs north to south and is located east of T.B. T.B. developed as a small crossroads community in the early nineteenth century. The first documented building was not constructed until c and served as a dwelling for a member of the Townshend family. The Hopkins map demonstrates growth in the community by 1878 with several new families living in the area. New buildings included a blacksmith shop, a store and post office, and a school house. 4 In the late 1880s, the population of T.B. reached 150. T.B. remained later lost residents to Brandywine, the site of two railroad lines and a larger commercial area. The is sited on property that was once owned by John Townshend, a prominent landowner in the area. Always troubled by his ownership of slaves, on Christmas Eve, 1831, Townshend executed a deed of manumission that would free his slaves upon his death. He died on May 14, 1846, not long after executing a second deed of manumission and was buried in a small cemetery sited on his property (PG: 85A-005 Townshend-Robinson Family Cemetery). Townshend s nephew, Jeremiah Townshend, along with the other heirs, filed a petition claiming that John Townshend had been insane since 1794 in order to seek control of his uncles landholdings as well as nullify the deeds of manumission. 5 The effort to break the will of John Townshend and deeds of manumission spanned nine years, greatly depleting Jeremiah Townshend s fortune, and the final court hearing found John Townshend to be insane and not mentally capable. Accordingly, the court granted title of the property to Jeremiah Townshend. 6 In 1856, after winning title to John Townshend s property, Jeremiah Townshend sold Lot 3, a 195-acre parcel that included the family cemetery, to Thomas Wells Robinson. Thomas W. Robinson (born in 1803) had returned to Prince George s County following his family s move to West Virginia in According to the Robinson Family Bible, Robinson married Elizabeth J. Richards on December 15, The couple had nine children, seven of whom reached adulthood. Robinson s purchase of Lot 3 of the subdivided Townshend

10 Number 8 Page 3 property supplemented his 1843 purchase of an adjacent tract of land known as Potomac Landing from Benjamin Oden. 8 Robinson married his second wife, Martha Ann Walls, the daughter of George and Martha Naylor Walls, in One son from this marriage, Robert Henry, survived to maturity. Robinson utilized slave labor, with the number of slaves varying from at least six in 1849, eleven in 1850, and finally six in At the time of the 1860 U.S. Federal Census, Robinson was enumerated as a planter with $12,000 in real estate assets and a personal estate of $10, Though a large landowner, Thomas Robinson was consistently attempting to escape his many debts incurred by poor investments and health troubles. Deeply in debt, Thomas W. Robinson entered into a sharecropping agreement with Edward Hanson, an African-American, to farm part of Potomac Landing. Franklin Alexander Robinson was born in 1841 in Maryland, and was the son of Thomas Wells Robinson and his first wife, Elizabeth J. Richards Robinson. Following his enlistment in the Civil War as a private in the 5 th Virginia Infantry, Franklin returned to Prince George s County in Maryland to help his father operate the farm. Upon Thomas Robinson s death in 1869, his will was executed by his second wife, Martha A. Walls Robinson and his friend and attorney, Samuel H. Berry. The will stipulated that Potomac Landing, which was located northeast of T.B., was to be divided into thirds; one third was to be conveyed to Martha and their son Robert Henry, one third to his son James G. Robinson, and the final third was to be given to Franklin Alexander Robinson. However, the proceeds from the sale of Robinson s personal property were not sufficient to cover his debts; therefore, Martha Robinson and Samuel Berry were sued by the Commissioners of Prince George s County on behalf of Thomas Robinson s creditors. The lawsuit resulted in the forced sale of all of Robinson s property in At the sale, Robert Henry purchased Lot 1, Franklin purchased Lot 2 and James G. purchased Lot Lot 2, which contained 160 acres, was to become the site of Franklin Robinson s new dwelling. However, since the 1880 U.S. Federal Census notes that he was residing with his brother Robert Robinson and his family, it can be ascertained that the current dwelling was not constructed until c The new dwelling was an imitation of Franklin s childhood home, which was located northeast of the new dwelling on a different property. 13 The house was mostly likely constructed by his brother, James G. Robinson, a carpenter. 14 Robinson purchased several other tracts of land over the years, most notably the Schoolhouse Lot, a one-acre parcel sited south of Dyson Road. A school was first located on this lot prior to the Civil War and is noted on the 1861 Martenet Map of Prince George s County. By the time Robinson had purchased the property from the Prince George s County Board of School Commissioners, the school was no longer in use. The building was moved north onto Lot 2 of Potomac Landing soon after the sale and was attached to the two-story tenant house, which housed the African-American farm laborers who worked the property. 15 During the last quarter of the nineteenth century, twenty known individuals worked at Potomac Landing, and it can be assumed that many resided in the tenant house and were descendents of slaves once owned by Thomas Wells Robinson. 16

11 Number 8 Page 4 Franklin A. Robinson was also involved with St. Thomas Parish, where he acted as a vestryman and warden. A caretaker for the cemetery at the Church of the Atonement in Cheltenham, Maryland, Robinson was laid to rest there upon his death in Following the intestate death of Robinson, a lifelong bachelor, his estate became the subject of a lengthy equity case, which stretched on for three years. 18 In 1908, Caleb C. Magruder, T. Van Clagett, and Francis J. Mooney, the appointed trustees of the equity case, sold four tracts of Robinson s estate to William E. Boswell. These parcels of land included the School House Lot (1 acre), Home Place (160 acres), and two separate tracts (17.33 acres and 32 acres). 19 William E. Boswell was born in 1880 in Maryland and moved to T.B. in the mid-1890s to work as a clerk for J. Eli Huntt, a successful merchant. Huntt owned the Huntt Casket Shop (PG: 85A-015) and Marlow- Huntt Store (PG: 85A-014). Boswell boarded with Marcus Luckett, the local blacksmith and a relative by marriage. Although still a teenager, following Huntt s death in 1897, Boswell took over the operation of the store. He ran the business for Huntt s widow until 1908, after which he purchased property near the Huntt store and constructed a competing store. 20 He married his wife Grace E. in 1909 and at the time of the 1910 U.S. Federal Census, Boswell was residing with his wife and her family in Brandywine, Maryland. 21 Boswell owned the William Boswell House (PG: 85A-031), located in Brandywine, which also served as his office. In 1910, William E. and Grace E. Boswell conveyed 160 acres originally known as Franklin A. Robinson s Home Lot of the Potomac Landing tract to Georgia and Fitzhugh Hooe Billingsley. 22 Fitzhugh H. Billingsley, a native of Mechanicsville, Maryland, was born in A farmer by occupation, Billingsley was also a justice of the peace and an active member of the Farm Bureau and the Grange. 23 He married the former Georgia Katarah Lusby, a high school teacher, and they had three children; Katherine, Nelson F.H. and Anna C. Billingsley. 24 In 1916, the Billingsley s proceeded with several land transactions. That March, they sold acres of Home Place to Frank A. Robinson, the nephew of Franklin A. Robinson. 25 In May, the Billingsleys expanded their farm with the purchase of a 0.66-acre parcel from August Noltensmeier, a farmer, and his wife Wilhelmine Noltensmeier. 26 Noltensmeier emigrated from Germany in 1892 with his wife and they are noted in the 1910 U.S. Federal Census as having settled in Alabama with their seven children. 27 The Noltensmeier family relocated to Maryland by 1912, at which time Noltensmeier purchased this particular parcel from Charles Edward and Mary Elizabeth Hawkins. 28 In 1939, the Billingsleys further increased the size of their property with the purchase a one-acre parcel from Patrick and Maggie Hawkins. 29 Patrick Hawkins, an African-American farmer, was born in 1896 in

12 Number 8 Page 5 Maryland, and married his wife, Maggie, in By 1930, the couple had added six children to their family. 30 Billingsley died in 1956 and his widow obtained ownership of the farm. Prior to passing away in 1963, she conveyed the property to her children, Anna C. Billingsley (b. 1912) and Nelson F. Billingsley (b. 1914). 31 In 1980, Nelson Billingsley conveyed his undivided ½ interest in the property to his daughter Mary Ann Breece. 32 In 1994, Breece served as the personal representative of the estate of her aunt, conveying the undivided ½ interest to herself. 33 One year later, in 1995, Breece acting as attorney in fact for her mother, Mary A. Billingsley, under the power of attorney, transferred the acre house lot to Craig S. Crispell. 34 No information on Crispell could be located. Additionally, in 1996, Breece conveyed a acre portion of Parcel 4 to the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), which added the property to the Piscataway Creek Stream Valley Park. 35 Crispell conveyed his property, which included the primary dwelling and the associated outbuildings set on acres, to the M-NCPPC in The M-NCPPC is the current owner of the property, having purchased approximately acres of the former 210-acre Robinson-Billingsley farm from Billingsley family members in separate land transactions dating from 1993 to According to Franklin Robinson, Jr., the has a side-hall plan and may be the one remaining example of this type in T.B., Maryland. Franklin Robinson, Jr., message to Howard Berger, October 22, Susan G. Pearl, T.B., Maryland Historical Trust, Historic Sites Inventory Form ( ). 3 Prince George s County Community Renewal Program, Neighborhoods of Prince George s County (1974), G.M. Hopkins, Atlas of Fifteen Miles Around Washington, Including the County of Prince George Maryland (Philadelphia: G.M. Hopkins, C.E., 1878). 5 Ian Gallacher, Learning More Than Law from Maryland Decisions, University of Baltimore Law Forum, Issue 32.1, Franklin Robinson, Jr., interview held at the Townshend-Robinson Cemetery, Brandywine, August 24, Robinson-Via Family Papers, [AC ], Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian. 8 Franklin Robinson, Jr., message to Howard Berger, October 22, Prince George s County Land Records, JBB 6: U.S. Federal Census, District 5, Prince Georges, Maryland, Series M653, Roll 478, Page 35, Image 527, Thomas W. Robinson. 11 Franklin Robinson, Jr., The Robinson Family of Potomac Landing, (personal writings of Franklin Robinson, Jr., 2009) U.S. Federal Census, Brandywine, Prince George s, Maryland, Series T9, Roll 514, Family History Film , Page , Enumeration District 131, Image 0065, Franklin A. Robinson. 13 Franklin Robinson, Jr., message to Maria Dayton, October 1, The original home at Potomac Landing was lived in by Thomas W. Robinson s descendents until 1912, at which time, his grandson, Frank A. Robinson constructed a new house on the property. The old home was utilized for storage following the construction of the new house and fell into an extreme deteriorated state and is no longer extant. 14 Franklin Robinson, Jr.,, (personal writings of Franklin Robinson, Jr., 2009).

13 Number 8 Page 6 15 Franklin Robinson, Jr., The Schoolhouse at Potomac Landing, (personal writings of Franklin Robinson, Jr., 2009). 16 Farm Account Book of Franklin Alexander Robinson, (Box 1, Folder 1, #475), The Robinson-Via Family Papers , AC-NMAH, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.; Individuals listed as tenants and workers at Potomac Landing: John Savoy (1873, ), Mary Jones ( washing, 1890), Frank Dent (1874), Robert Dorsey ( ), Alfred Dorsey ( sit-in 1876), Alfred Davice ( ), Jackson Hawkings (1880), William Bedders ( ), James Booth ( sit-in 1881), Charley Booth (1883), Richard Dick Bedders ( ), Henry Hattens ( ), Sam Young ( sit-in 1884), Henry Butters ( ), Mike sit in May 26, 1886, John Ed Hawkins (1885, sit-in March 1, 1886), George Counter (1889), William Johnson (1893), Ann Mariah Greenleaf ( , 1888 washing), Nelly Pinkney ( ), Ellen Clemons (n.d), Resin Dorsey (1873). 17 Robinson, Jr.,. 18 Richard F. Robinson vs. Elizabeth A. Gibbons and other defendants, Equity Case # Caleb C. Magruder, T. Van Clagett, and Francis J. Mooney to William E. Boswell, Prince George s County Land Records, 43: Susan G. Pearl, William Boswell House, (PG: 85A-31) Maryland Historical Trust State Historic Sites Inventory Form (1986), 8: U.S. Federal Census, Brandywine, Prince George's, Maryland, Series T624, Roll 567, Page 14A, Enumeration District 72, Image 459, William E. Boswell. 22 William E. Boswell and Grace E. Boswell to G. Katarah Lusby Billingsley and Fitzhugh Hooe Billingsley, Prince George s County Land Records, 69: "Algernon Ernest." The Washington Post and Times Herald ( ), March 16, 1956, (accessed May 29, 2009) U.S. Federal Census, Brandywine, Prince George s, Maryland, Series T625, Roll 674, Page 1A, Enumeration District 84, Image 625, Fitzhugh Billingsley. 25 G. Katarah Lusby Billingsley and Fitzhugh H. Billingsley to Frank A. Robinson, Prince George s County Land Records, 116: August Noltensmeier and Wilhelmine Noltensmeier to Katarah L. Billingsley and Fitzhugh Hooe Billingsley, Prince George s County Land Records, 117: U.S. Federal Census, Summerdale and Marlow, Baldwin, Alabama, Series T624, Roll 1, Page 2A, Enumeration District 11, Image 729, August Noltensmeier. 28 Charles Edward Hawkins and Mary Elizabeth Hawkins to August Noltensmeier, Prince George s County Land Records, 80: Patrick Hawkins and Maggie Hawkins to G. Katarah Lusby Billingsley and Fitzhugh Hooe Billingsley, Prince George s County Land Records, 533: U.S. Federal Census, Brandywine, Prince George's, Maryland, Series 877, Page 6A, Enumeration District 24, Image , Patrick Hawkins. 31 G. Katarah Lusby Billingsley, widow, to Anna C. Billingsley and Nelson F. Billingsley, Prince George s County Land Records, 2554:92; 1930 U.S. Federal Census, Brandywine, Prince George's, Maryland, Series 877, Page 5B, Enumeration District 24, Image , Nelson Billingsley. 32 Nelson F. Billingsley to Mary Ann Breece, Prince George s County Land Records, 5240: Mary A. Breece, Personal Representative of the estate of Anna C. Billingsley, to Mary A. Breece, Prince George s County Land Records, 9300: Mary Ann Breece, Attorney in fact for Mary A. Billingsley, under Power of Attorney, to Craig Crispell, Prince George s County Land Records, 10105: Mary Ann Breece to The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Prince George s County Land Records, 10846: Craig S. Crispell to The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Prince George s County Land Records, 16827:170.

14 9. Major Bibliographical References Inventory No. PG: 85A , 1910, 1920, 1930 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Online: The Generations Network, Inc., Subscription database. Digital scan of original records in the National Archives, Washington, DC. Hopkins, G.M. Prince George s County, from Atlas of Fifteen Miles Around Washington. Philadelphia: G.M. Hopkins, C.E., Martenet, Simon J. Martenet's Map of Prince George s County, Maryland. Baltimore: Simon J. Martenet, Pearl, Susan G. T.B, (PG: 85A-33) Maryland Historical Trust State Historic Sites Inventory Form, 1986/1987. Pearl, Susan G. William Boswell House, (PG: 85A-31) Maryland Historical Trust State Historic Sites Inventory Form, Prince George s County Land Records 10. Geographical Data Acreage of surveyed property Acreage of historical setting Quadrangle name Brandywine Quadrangle scale: 1:24,000 Verbal boundary description and justification The is located in Brandywine, Maryland, on a acre tract of land. The southern edge of the house lot property, known as Parcel 46, is bounded by a gravel driveway and the north, west, and eastern edges of the property are bounded by woods. A gravel driveway runs east-west directly south of the Robinson-Billingsley Houe and separates the parcel from the southern fields. The southern boundary of the property is lined by Dyson Road and the western edge is lined by a gravel driveway. An allee of trees bounds the northern edge, while a wooded area is sited along the western boundary. The secondary dwelling (Nelson Billingsley House) and its associated outbuildings are located south of the on Parcel 28, separated by a acre field known as Parcel 172. The tenant house with schoolhouse is located on Parcel 4, sited south of the and east of the Nelson Billingsley House. This property has been associated with what are now designated as Parcels 4, 28, 46, 167, 169, and 172 as noted on Tax Map 135 since its construction c Form Prepared by name/title Paul Weishar and Maria Dayton / Architectural Historians organization EHT Traceries, Inc. for M-NCPPC date October 2009 street & number 1121 Fifth Street, NW telephone (202) city or town Washington state DC The Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties was officially created by an Act of the Maryland Legislature to be found in the Annotated Code of Maryland, Article 41, Section 181 KA, 1974 supplement. The survey and inventory are being prepared for information and record purposes only and do not constitute any infringement of individual property rights. return to: Maryland Historical Trust Maryland Department of Planning 100 Community Place Crownsville, MD

15 Number 9 Page 1 PORTION 1 HOME PLACE CHAIN OF TITLE PRINCE GEORGE S COUNTY LAND RECORDS Will AHL 526:1 July 25, 1866 Martha Ann Robinson and Samuel H. Berry as executrix and executor of the Last Will and Testament of Thomas W. Robinson to Franklin Robinson. (1/3 of all real estate lying north of the Main Road ) Equity #849 Sale of Lot #2 of Thomas Robinson s estate Potomac Landing to Franklin A. September 1876 Robinson. Equity #3209 BDS 5:239 November 15, 1905 Richard F. Robinson vs. Elizabeth A. Gibbons and other defendants. Deed Caleb C. Magruder, T. Van Clagett, and Francis J. Mooney, trustees appointed in the 43:480 case of Richard F. Robinson vs. Elizabeth A. Gibbons, sold to William E. Boswell. July 29, 1908 (four tracts of land: 1) School House Lot containing 1 acre 2) tract containing acres 3) Home Place, of the late Franklin A. Robinson containing 160 acres. 4) tract containing 32 acres) Deed William E. Boswell and Grace E. Boswell to G. Katarah Lusby Billingsley and 69:58 Fitzhugh Hooe Billingsley. (160 acres) December 31, 1910 PORTION 2 Deed August Noltensmeier and Wilhelmine Noltensmeier to Katarah L. Billingsley and 117:278 Fitzhugh Hooe Billingsley. May 31, 1916

16 Number 9 Page 2 PORTION 3 Deed Patrick Hawkins and Maggie Hawkins to G. Katarah Lusby Billingsley and Fitzhugh 533:137 Hooe Billingsley. (1 acre) May 5, 1939 PORTION 1, 2, AND 3 Deed 2554:92 May 8, 1961 Deed 5240:207 February 26, 1980 G. Katarah Lusby Billingsley, widow, to Anna C. Billingsley and Nelson F. Billingsley. Nelson F. Billingsley to Mary Ann Breece. (His undivided ½ interest) Deed Mary A. Breece, Personal Representative of the estate of Anna C. Billingsley, to Mary 9300:319 A. Breece. January 13, 1994 Deed Mary Ann Breece, Attorney in fact for Mary A. Billingsley under Power of Attorney, to 10105:139 Craig S. Crispell. ( acres) April 7, 1995 Deed Craig S. Crispell to The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission :175 ( acres) January 1, 2003

17 Number 9 Page 3 Photo: (c. 1882), Brandywine, façade (south elevation), view looking north. (April 2009)

18 Number 9 Page 4 Photo: (c. 1882), Brandywine, façade (south elevation), view looking northwest. (April 2009)

19 Number 9 Page 5 Photo: (c. 1882), Brandywine, rear (north) elevation, view looking southeast. (April 2009)

20 Number 9 Page 6 Photo: Garage (c. 2000), Brandywine, façade (southeast elevation), view looking north. (April 2009)

21 Number 9 Page 7 Photo: Barn (c. 1925), Brandywine, view looking northeast. (April 2009)

22 Number 9 Page 8 Photo: Barn (c. 1925), Brandywine, view looking southwest. (April 2009)

23 Number 9 Page 9 Photo: Tenant House with Schoolhouse (c and c. 1860), Brandywine, view looking west. (April 2009)

24 Number 9 Page 10 Photo: Tenant House with Schoolhouse (c and c. 1860), Brandywine, view looking southwest. (April 2009)

25 Number 9 Page 11 Photo: Secondary Dwelling (c. 1955), Brandywine, façade (south elevation), view looking north. (September 2009)

26 Number 9 Page 12 Photo: Secondary Dwelling (c. 1955), Brandywine, rear (north) elevation, view looking south. (September 2009)

27 Number 9 Page 13 Photo: Tractor Shed (c. 1995), Brandywine, view looking northeast. (September 2009)

28 Number 9 Page 14 Photo: Shed (c. 1980), Brandywine, view looking north. (September 2009)

29 Number 9 Page 15 Photo: Sign (c. 1965), Brandywine, view looking northwest. (April 2009)

30 Number 9 Page 16 Simon J. Martenet, Atlas of Prince George s County, Maryland, 1861, Adapted from Martenet s Map of Prince George s County, Maryland (Baltimore: Simon J. Martenet C.E., 1861).

31 Number 9 Page 17 G.M. Hopkins, Atlas of Fifteen Miles Around Washington, Including the County of Prince George s, Maryland (Philadelphia: G.M. Hopkins, C.E., 1878).